The Last Summer of Youth
by Ittmag
Summary: Kim finds herself in that magical summer after High School, but before college. Change looms ahead for all parties involved, and by summer's end no one will be the same. Rated T for now, but that may change later on. Kim/Shego, Ron/Yori
1. New Challenges, New Battles

The Last Summer of Youth

A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please be gentle. I was inspired by AlyssC01 and her KiGO fanfiction series, "The Touch of Green Fire"

s/3565753/1/The-Touch-of-Green-Fire

It's worth a read. If you have reviews or comments, I'll gladly take them! Constructive criticism is always a plus. Lastly, enjoy!

Graduation had come and gone, and now Kim Possible found herself staring down the barrel of a long summer, and the uncomfortable prospect of the separation between her and Ron at summer's end. She had, of course, received a veritable mountain of requests from colleges stateside and abroad. As the progeny of a Bona fide brain surgeon and a certified rocket scientist, Kim had the pick of anywhere on the globe, and the grades to back it up.

Sitting in her bedroom with a map of the continental United States, along with her laptop, Kimmunicator and a handful of the acceptance letters that she'd whittled the mountain down to, Kim hemmed and hawed over her choice of College. Of course, she had to admit the fact that she had often saved notable people and on the very rare occasions, whole cities also tended to tip the scales in her favor. If she was honest with herself, she'd be smart to pick the school with the best program in whatever she was interested in..whatever that may be. A part of herself envied Ron. He'd only gotten into a handful of schools, and was limited further by what his parents could afford, but for a single very notable exception: The Institute of Culinary Education in New York. The school had apparently gotten wind of Ron's insane and sometimes wildly successful culinary exploits, and offered a full ride. Needless to say, he'd taken to the idea with Ron-only levels of enthusiasm, and had been reminding Kim of his luck at every turn.

All of this left Kim in a very uncomfortable position. Did she go to New York, or somewhere similar on the East Coast, and find a notable school that had what she wanted? Certainly a whole coast had someplace that could provide her with the education she wanted, she reasoned. Even if the main reason was to be close to her boyfriend. Or did she go her own way-into the unknown, and away from the one unchanging constant in her life since Pre-K? For all the talk of nothing changing just prior to the Lowardian invasion...Kim had to quietly admit to herself that things had changed. Hell, even the house she was living in for the summer was new, the old one she had grown up in little more than dust and memories, itself a casualty of the Lowardian Invasion.

In a petulant sweep of her arm frustration accompanied by a soft growl, Kim swept the bundle of letters and the map into a heap on the floor. And as if relief came from on high, the Kimmunicator trilled the transmission signal. Grinning, Kim scooped the device up with a flourish, eager to focus on something she could handle. "What's the sitch, Wade?" She crowed, slapping the little device on her wrist."There's been a series of small-time heists across the Tri-City area." Kim grimaced, sighing a little. It sounded like small potatoes but right now, it was better than facing the future. "And?" she prompted. "It's all basic super-sleuthing spy stuff: Ropes, grapples, Night vision-all from different places. Normally I'd just alert police but..." Wade shrugged. "It seemed like a pattern worth investigating." Kim nodded. "Any idea where the next one might happen?" Wade made a few keystrokes, and a small map of downtown Middleton replaced his image. "Not far, actually. Place called Xtreme Adventure. They sell cheap knock offs of the mission equipment you use." Kim was already in motion, slinging on her classic mission gear as Wade briefed her. She paused for a split second, "There's a market for that?" she asked, incredulous. "Apparently you're a hot costume idea." Kim groaned, rolling her eyes. "So, I've gone from fashion statement to Halloween idea. Fantastic," she deadpanned. Kim sighed, then nodded at Wade's tiny image on her wrist Kimmunicator. "Okay. I'm on it. Let Ron know I'll be over to pick him up in a bit."

"You got it, Kim." Wade nodded curtly back at her, and the little watch phone when silent. Kim yanked on her mission shirt, and loaded up her belt and cargo pants and was out the door and down the stairs. Without missing a beat, her father called, as Kim sped by, "Let us know if you're going out of the country! We'll save leftovers!" Kim waved behind her as she bounded out the door. "I'll be fine! Just save me some of Mom's mashed potatoes!" She was in her car and on her way to Ron's before the front door finished closing.

Kim and Ron were on stake out, and had been for the last hour and half. Ron was in the car watching the front entrance, While Kim sat on the Roof watching the access door, wreathed in the shadow of the building's massive air conditioner. Her Kimmunicator beeped. "Go Wade." she murmured. To her mild but quickly fading surprise, Ron's voice sounded from the little device. "You decided yet on where you're gonna go, KP?" He asked. Kim rolled her eyes before looking down at the little screen at her wrist. "Not now Ron. We're busy." She grated. A short silent pause from Ron's end, then: "Busy waiting for what, KP? We've been here like, an hour and a half. Rufus is getting antsy and I'm having a serious hankering for some Bueno Nacho." The tinny voice of Rufus sounded from the speaker on Kim's wrist giving his agreement. "Wade thinks this is a likely target. When has he ever been wrong, Ron?" The tiny image of Ron on her screen quibbled. "Not recently?" Kim rolled her eyes and sighed in part humor, part exasperation. "Try not ever, Ron. As for the college stuff..Not yet." she answered, but then quickly amended: "But now's not the time." She offered Ron a weak and unconvincing smile. "Really, no big. Now, focus Ron. Promise we'll talk after." With a sense of finality she disconnected the call.

And, it seemed in not a moment too soon. Lost in the shadow of the massive air conditioner, Kim was in a perfect position to watch the would-be intruder approach. Whomever it was, they were very slightly built, trim but not overly muscled. Also presumably a woman, judging from the tightly woven long braid trailing behind the thief. Kim grimaced to herself as the mental list of possible suspects dwindled rapidly. Either it was someone new-or Kim strongly suspected Shego. The idea that she had so quickly gone back to thieving after her and Drakken had been honored at the UN for saving the world from the Lowardians made Kim feel mildly disapproving. For once in her life Shego had the freedom to live openly, and Kim found it strangely upsetting that Shego might have gone right back to her old ways. This was all assuming of course, that it was Shego. Part of Kim held out hope this was someone else.

She watched as the nimble thief completed several silent hand springs until reaching the middle of the shop's roof, landing lightly and quickly withdrawing...a laser cutter? Kim frowned as the figure spun in a smooth, perfect circle, the laser inches from their toes. At the completion of the circle the burglar spared a soft chuckle, then vanished down the hole. Kim creeped from her spot to reconnoiter the perfectly cut circle in the roof. "Ron!" she hissed into her Kimmunicator, doing her best to keep quiet. "Yup, that's the name!" Ron's tinny voice seemed to shout at her in the tense silence of the roof. "Rufus and I are just chillin' like a pair of villains here! Well, not real villains, but you get the idea.." Ron rambled. "Quiet! Our thief just went right past me, and cut a hole in the roof. I'm following. Get to the front door in case they make a break!" Kim hissed. "You got it KP!" Ron responded, doing his best stage whisper.

Kim edged to the rim of the hole and peeked down into the gloom, just making out her target perusing a selection of personal automatic winches. With the ease of a trained acrobat herself, Kim flipped though the hole and swung into the rafters, landing with feline grace. She kept her eyes on the figure below her, still struggling to make out any semblance of identity. If it was Shego, then she'd abandoned her traditional black-and-green number opting instead for swaddled black clothes. When she found herself directly over her quarry she dropped silently behind them. She held her breath for a split second, fearing her target would react. When they didn't, she grinned and nonchalantly tapped the thief on the shoulder. In a moment of life imitating art, they turned just as Kim swung her fist, and promptly dropped bonelessly to the floor. Kim dusted her hands on her pants, and waited an extra heartbeat for any retaliation. When none came she signaled Ron. "Come on in. All clear. I got her." She thumbed the cracker program on her Kimmunicator and pointed it at the electric door. Ron ambled though the front entrance as if entering a store in the dead of night with no one save Kim Possible and an unconscious body was normal. And perhaps, for Ronald Stoppable, after years of being Kim's sidekick, it was.

"Wow, KP. One punch? Just swing that ol' haymaker and POW! Lights out!" Ron crowed. "Remind me to never go into boxing against you." He looked around at the series of faceless mannequins with the same outfit as him and Kim draped over them, along with all manner of adventure gear that lined the aisle him and Kim and their unknown thief were in, then back at Kim. "You'd think I'd be all for it, with our stuff on'em, but those mannequins creep me out." Kim simply rolled her eyes and focused on the unconscious form between them. "Why would breaking into a adventure shop-in the dead of night-to steal clothes that look like me be so important to go to all this trouble?" Kim wondered aloud. "Biggest fan?" Ron offered. Kim shivered at the idea that fanatical worship of her crime fighting exploits had lead to a series of break ins. "I find that creepier than the mannequins, personally." she shot back at Ron, grinning. She bent down to pull off the wrapped cloth mask to reveal...someone she'd never seen before. A young woman, clearly in her early twenties, perhaps late teens. Dark black hair, but with a lightly tanned complexion. Pretty in a rugged, hard as nails sort-of-way. Kim put her hands on her hips and simply shrugged. "Huh."

~888~

Shego was bored. Ever since her and Dr. Drakken had helped Kim and the Buffon in saving the world, her thieving and sneaking not to mention-fighting-days seemed over. With all the money she'd made during various capers, and the bonus they'd received after all the fighting she'd done...She could easily retire to a life of cabana boys and drinks in the sun, if she invested carefully. Even if she didn't she could do it for months, even years. And so with some reckless abandon, she had. And for the first month and a half she'd loved it. Reveled in it. But by the third month she was beginning to get restless. It all felt so airy..so inconsequential. Like none if it mattered. She'd already nearly fried one server when he kept pestering her for more drinks, realizing he was planning on mining her for tips. She missed smashing windows, grabbing priceless artifacts and flying fast and experimental crafts on missions for Drakken's wild and often disastrous schemes.

But most of all, Shego missed the thrill of the fight. Except for some very rare occasions, when ever her and Kimmie ended up together, they were fighting. It felt like a dangerous ballet, a carefully timed dance and yet a competition. They had both saved each other from death on several occasions, and had just as readily let each other fend for themselves, confident that they would either save themselves or they just weren't worthy of being foes. Of course when the situation required it they'd fought together, back-to-back or side-to-side trading blows and enemies as easily as they traded barbs and jabs. Privately she admitted that she would be furious if anyone killed her Kimmie, most of all herself. They had cultivated a strange relationship as mutual antagonists, and Shego had to admit part of her wanted it back. She held up a hand and idly summoned a ball of latent green plasma, hurling it at the waves, watching it pop and flash satisfyingly against the churning water. She sighed. Maybe she should go back to Dr. D? Find out what sort of wild insanity he had cooked up this time? Rest was over. It was time to go back to work, Shego decided. It wasn't until she had reached her room to pack up, that Shego realized she was grinning.

~888~

Kim and Ron stood at the front doors to Xtreme Adventure, debriefing the middleton police force. This was the part of her hobby that Kim liked the least. Filling out paperwork had never been something she was generally interested in. Though Kim was more often than not spared from such drudgery because she was dealing with supervillans, leaving the more mundane clerk and cleanup work to Crime fighting organizations like Global Justice. On rare occasions she had to deal with government agents: INTERPOL, CIA or the FBI and had found them all generally distasteful. At least GJ had some standards. Police work, was often the most boring of all. Kim suffered through the interviews and filling out a few affidavits, often repeating things she'd told different officers multiple times. By the time the police released both her and Ron it was already 9:30, on a heist job where the action had started at 6:30. Kim stretched and yawned before her car, then pulled open the door and threw herself into the driver's seat. She looked over at Ron, who matched her look with similarly bored expression. "As tempted Cure for a slow night of crime fighting: Survey says late night Nacos." She said, grinning. As if flipping a coin, Ron's expression immediately turned to one of joy. "You're on, KP!" Ron grinned, and pumped his fist. At the mention of Nacos Ron's naked mole rat Rufus, who'd been napping in Ron's pocket the entire night, popped out. "Naco's?" He chirped, a wild grin on his face. Kim leaned back in her seat, started the car with a warm smile. Perhaps, she and Ron could make this summer worth it. Kim turned out of the parking lot, leaving the crime scene behind, and sped away, into the night.


	2. Storming, of the Brain and Barn Variety

**A/N**: Here's the second chapter. So far I'm doing all the editing on my own. If you find any mistakes or have any suggestions, please let me know so I can address them! Otherwise, rate, review, enjoy.

Chapter 2

Storming, of the Brain and Barn Variety.

Two days later, Kim sat across from her boyfriend, watching him with mild amusement as he and Rufus sat silent in a moment of remembrance for the old Bueno Nacho. Their most storied hang out, the sight one of Kim's very earliest battles with Shego, and the place where so much of their high school relationship played out had also been destroyed, and the pair seemed determined to show a little reverence for its passing. She looked around the new restaurant. Like everything else in her life, Kim mused, this too had been changed forever. The decor and all the styling was still the same, but it seemed like the corporate owners had decided that the Lowardian invasion had been a good enough reason to update the site. Gone where all the little things that had made the earlier place special. The little bits of history that were scattered about, that told stories or gave indications of a four years of discussion, speculation, about plans for world domination and high school matters. Ron and Rufus seemed to care about the difference, and though she wouldn't admit it out loud, she felt a little wistful and nostalgic for the old Bueno Nacho restaurant. Her smile lifted a little at the thought that the great Kim Possible would mourn the passing of a Faux-Mexican fast food store. Kim spared a quick glance at her companion and his pet, and the way they devoured their shared Naco suggested that they had warmed to the new place with enthusiasm nonetheless. Kim smiled a little, truthfully a little jealous of the seeming ease with which they had adapted to their circumstances.

Just as Kim was rising to get herself another soda, her Kimmunicator beeped. She immediately checked the motion and sat back down, a small thrill rising in her. Her tone was a mix of serious business and a hint of excitement as she thumbed the answer button. "Go, Wade." Ron set the Naco down, still chewing with obvious delight as he listened in.

"I did a little digging on the thief you captured at Xtreme Adventure, see if we had stumbled onto something bigger than just a random robbery." Wade responded, without any preamble. Kim raised her eyebrows, and couldn't help grinning a little. "And?" she prompted. "Well, good news and bad news." He paused to take a sip from his ever-present cup of soda. "Good news is that we stopped a pretty famous thief." A mug shot of the young woman from a couple of days ago replaced Wade, while he continued his report. "Her name is Anastasia Cooper, but she's known in the criminal world as "Annah-of-the-Shadows." Ron suddenly perked up. "Annah-of-the-Shadows? As in _Planescape_ Annah-of-the-Shadows?" Kim blinked, and looked at Ron with a perplexed expression. "What?" he responded, looking a little sheepish. "I may or may not have participated in some of the Sword-and-Sorcery campaigns with your cousin Larry." Kim wordlessly shook her head. "Ron's actually right, Kim." Wade cut in. "She's been thought to be responsible for some of the world's most daring heists in the last five years. She's a nasty fighter, too. Favors push-knives." An image of a knife with a grip designed to put the blade between the knuckles that would turn a punch in to a stab, appeared on the monitor. Both Kim and Ron winced. "You're lucky you got her as easily as you did." Kim gulped. "So.." she started, her brows knitting together, "What'd she want with a bunch of knock-off reproductions of stuff that I use?" Wade shook his head in the little screen. "Dunno. Bad news? She's out. Busted out this morning when the guards changed shift." Kim shrugged. "Well wouldn't be the first time. Keep us posted."

After Bueno Nacho, Kim and Ron returned to her home. Kim faced the unhappy prospect of sifting through her letters again and her stomach churned at the prospect. Why was she so nervous about this? She'd faced imminent doom and personal peril more times during her high school career then some members of the military did. Choosing a school should be a no big...Right?

Kim flopped on the bed and gave a frustrated groan. Ron, from his station at her computer turned to her. "Still haven't landed on a place, huh KP?" He asked."No." she sighed heavily. "I just.."She shrugged her shoulders. "My dad has always said anything is possible for a Possible, right?" Kim twisted from her spot on the bed and started pacing across the room. Ron opened his mouth to answer, but Kim thwarted him with her own response. "Well, what am I supposed to do if I don't know _what_ I want to do? Where do I go then?" She threw her hands up in the air and groaned. She whirled on Ron and pointed at him, an annoyed look on her face. "You got it easy. You know what you want to do _and_ you know where you're going to go." Ron blinked. "I do?" he asked, then frowned. "KP, I've got one shot at this chef thing. No school and I mean, like, no school will take me. If I screw up this food-teaching-place-" "Culinary Institute." Kim interjected. Ron rolled his eyes. "Whatever, KP! Just-if you don't like one place, you can totally just go somewhere else. Heck, I'm sure a few of those collages even owe you for mission stuff!" Ron seemed to deflate in Kim's computer chair and slumped against its back. "Face it, KP, neither of us is sure what's ahead...We just have to do our best to make the decisions that work for us." He looked up from his spot and met Kim's gaze from across the room. Kim stopped her pacing, and walked over to Ron, her expression softened. Trust Ron to surprise her by echoing exactly how she felt. She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "Thanks Ron. You know how to make a girl feel better." She turned around and made her way back to her bed, and the scattered collection of acceptance letters. She picked up a single letter from the bunch, addressed from NYU. She grimaced, and let it fall back to the pile, and sighed. "What do YOU think I should do, Ron?" she asked. Kim turned to look at Ron, the look on her face as vulnerable and open, something Ron was still getting used to."Me?" he responded, his voice rising. "Me? Uh well..." He dithered for a moment, his mind reaching for an answer. "What do you like to do most?" he blurted. Kim gave wide smile, and answered without any hesitation. "Stopping the super-villains, doi! Nothin' beats that." Ron chuckled. He snagged a pen and notepad from her desk. "Okay," he murmured. He jotted down the answer, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated. "Next!" he crowed.

~888~

Shego pushed the stick of her personal jet forward, and began final approach on Drakken's lair, reducing her speed and lowering the landing flaps. She thumbed her radio on the Lair's private frequency, and grinned. "This is November-Xray-One-One-Seven-Zulu, requesting clearance to land." She released the button, and waited expectantly. Drakken's gravely timber came over the radio, sounding annoyed. "Nnn. Shego, would it kill you to just say 'I'm home, put out the landing pad?'" She could practically hear him rolling his eyes over the radio. After a moment's silence, he came back on sounding defeated. "You have clearance, November-Xray-One-One-Seven-Zulu. Extending landing pad. Welcome home." The line went dead and Shego giggled. Yes, it was good to come home. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed needling the mad man when she could. She went through final landing procedures and switched from flight mode to VTOL. She set the black and green fighter jet down on the pad softly, popped the canopy and released her restraints. Shego leapt down to the pad, and felt it immediately begin to retract back into the mountain top lair. She pulled off her flight helmet and tucked it under her arm, then shook out her long black hair, and turned to march deeper into the cavernous base.

Shego barreled into the main lab like a force of nature. "Dr. D!" she exclaimed, a bright grin on her face, "How's my evil genius that's routinely thwarted by teenage super heroes doing?" she asked, far too cheerily for Drakken. "Not any more, Shego!" He whirled on her in dramatic fashion, and held up a pointed finger, and she beheld his manic grin. "Because this time, We're going to be _smart_ about it!" A lopsided grin crossed her features. "So all the previous plans were stupid, then." Shego asked, grinning as she set him up. "Yes!" Drakken cried, then blinked. His raised hand faltered, his thunder seemingly stolen. "Well..no, but..But this one is smarter!" He cried again, regaining his confidence. Shego rolled her eyes, and plopped down into a seat next to one of the lab tables. "Lay it on me, doc." Drakken wrung his hands as he prepared to reveal his brilliant plan. "You remember when we captured the army of Senior Citizens, right?" Shego scoffed. "That again? I am NOT driving another Ice Cream truck." Drakken shook his head. "This time we don't have to. Remember, that was just to distribute those silly Y-Pods. No, this time we're playing a much...longer game." Shego raised an eyebrow. "When you think of Senior Citizens and activates come to mind?" Shego mused for a moment.

"Knitting?"

"Yes. But not what I'm looking for..."

"Baking."

"No."

"OOh! Dying!"

"No, Shego! What use to me are they dead?!"

"Telling young people to get off their lawn?" Shego guessed, giggling.

Drakken fumed. "NO! Voting, Shego! Senior Citizens have time to Vote! There are old people on both sides of the accursed American government! I will take control of them, and become President!" He cackled.

Shego blinked. It was an inspired idea, but as was so often the case, Drakken hadn't thought past the premise. "One problem." Drakken turned to her, the expression on his face like a kid who'd just been told to go to bed. "What." He ground out. "You're a convicted criminal. That alone means you can't be President. Convicts are barred from most civil servant positions. Precisely," She pointed out, "to stop people like you." Drakken's expression darkened, and he turned his back on her. "Hmm..You've got a point." He conceded. "Still..there has to be a way to make this work..." He straightened and marched deeper into the lab. "I'll let you know when I've come up with something! Thank you for your help, Shego." He waved behind him at her dismissively with a vague shoo-ing motion. Shego rolled her eyes and headed back to her quarters. She had to give it to the Doc, this latest idea was more subtle than was usual for him. Done right, he might even be able to pull it off without Kim Possible immediately noticing. Shego frowned, realizing that would mean they wouldn't meet in battle, either. She shrugged. Knowing Kim, it would happen eventually anyway.

~888~

Ron stood up from his chair, elated but a little exhausted, a note pad filled with scribbled ideas and possible careers for his girlfriend. He handed it to her, and sat heavily on the bed next to her, then fell back to lay flat on his back, doing his best to not crush a letter. "Well, there you go!" He sighed. "When you say anything is possible for a Possible, man! Doesn't really hit you until it's in writing." Kim giggled and leaned over to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek in thanks. She lowered herself on her back next to him and lifted the list, staring up at it."Thanks Ron. Getting this all down really helped me sort things out." He looked over at her. "Know what you where you wanna go?" he asked a note of cautious hope in his voice. Kim shook her head. "Nah...Not quite yet...but you did give me some ideas."

After a few moments of silence, she chewed her lip, and turned to face him more directly. She figured that if she was going to voice her fears about separation and school, now was as good a time as any. "Say..Ron.." She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, a nervous habit. "What..would you think if I ended up somewhere..Not in New York..or even on the East Coast?" Ron turned on the bed to face her, while Kim stared intently up at the list. His gaze held a mixture of emotions: A little fear, and sadness, but also warmth, kindness, and love. Kim dropped her arm, and rolled on to her sided to face him, meeting his gaze with her own. She felt a welling up of the same emotions as she gazed at her partner and boyfriend. A small part of her noted that for all of these, there was no sense of passion, either in his gaze or from her, but she quickly silenced it. "I'd..be a little bummed, KP." He started, softly. Ron reached out to cup her cheek. "But..I'd understand. We've been separate before, remember?" He offered. "I was in Japan, and you were here. And then there was that time I was in Norway." Kim put on a brave smile, but countered, "Yeah, but in Japan you have Yori, and that time in Norway was disastrous for us both." Ron didn't have an immediate answer. He gave her a half shrug, then smiled at her faintly. "We've been friends as long as I've known you. and even if we have to go separate ways..I'll be okay. We'll be okay." He reached up and cupped her cheek. "Like you said at Graduation. 'It's not the end of the world.' " At that moment, Kim felt an overwhelming sense of appreciation and love for Ron. She expressed it in the only way that she knew how: Kim pulled Ron close and kissed him tenderly. So what if they never felt terribly passionate? There were different kinds of love. She was immensely glad to have Ron in her life, and would always be in awe of how lucky she was to have him.


	3. Right Steps, Wrong Time

Chapter 3

Right steps, Wrong Time.

"Shego!"

Shego groaned, rolling over in her bed. She loved having free room in board as part of being Drakken's sidekick and bodyguard, but it also meant that he could reach her with the intercom at any time. Even at 5 am. Especially, it seemed, at 5 am.

"SHEGO!" the intercom set into the wall, next to the steel door of her room blared. "This is important. I've had a breakthrough!"

Shego whined at the loud noise, pressing her eyes closed and scrunching her nose. She tossed a pillow at the offending speaker, and groaned. Why couldn't the Doc wait until she'd had breakfast? At least coffee. Was that too much to ask? The Feds couldn't pin murder on her if it was before coffee. She was sure they'd understand.

With a titanic effort, Shego rolled herself out of bed and pulled on a sleeping shirt and soft dark green robe. She certainly wasn't going to give the Doc an eyeful, even if it would be almost worth it to see the look on his face. She raked her fingers through her hair, trying to tame it as she reached the intercom. She stabbed the little talk button with her finger hard enough to make the plastic casing crack.

"This, had better be worth pulling me out of bed before coffee." she hissed, her voice full brimming with malice. She was about to step away from the intercom, then stabbed the little button again. "At 5 am!" she pointedly reminded, positively growling. She turned to make a move toward the door, but grinned. She was awake, might as well start the day right. She disrobed easily, leaving her nightclothes in a pile on the floor, and made for her personal shower. Whatever revelation Drakken had made, it could wait twenty minutes.

Thirty-five minutes later, Shego entered the main lab, dressed in a clean and freshly pressed catsuit, carrying a steaming cup of coffee. She gave Dr. D a saccrine-sweet smile when he turned to face her from his station at the head lab table.

"I called you a half-hour ago! Where have you been?" He demanded.

Shego let one hip drop and dug her free hand into her thick hair, doing her best to look like a model. She batted her eyelashes at him.

"I had to look my best for the doctor!" she sweetly replied, then just as abruptly dropped the act, dropping easily into her customary chair.

Shego snagged an errant copy of _Villain's Weekly_ and began to thumb through it. After a few moments of silence, she looked up expectantly. "Well?" she prompted, brows raised. "Super evil breakthrough?"

Drakken jumped as if he'd been given a light shock. He'd been momentarily struck dumb by his assistant's posing. "Right!" he grinned, regaining his composure.

"You said it'd be illegal for me to run for president. And indeed, you're right, it seems."

"Looked that up, did you?" Shego gloated from behind her magazine.

Drakken frowned. "Patience, Shego. We're still in the planning stages." Shego just made a very skeptical grunt.

"So the plan is to widen the scope. Change the constitution-and then," he crowed, "and then! I'll ride the crowd to victory on a perfectly legal campaign!" Drakken finished, his fist lifted towards the ceiling in a dramatic pose.

Shego boggled at him. Had her boss finally gone off the deep end? Shego knew Drakken was mentally unstable, but he had always been at the very least high-functioning and logical. How the hell was he going to change the United States Constitution, and expect to get away with it?

Shego finally formed a sarcastic response. "With what, a Sharpie? Drakken, How are you going to change the Constitution and have no one notice you did when you start your campaign?"

Drakken's evil grin returned with a vengeance. "Because it will be done with the people's blessing."

~888~

Kim blew a stray amber lock from her face, and did her best to not look glum.

She sat in the living room, staring out over the hills behind the house. It was cool and cloudy, and to Kim in her present state, didn't feel much like summer. Still, it gave her a rare opportunity to work, as the house was empty. The Drs. Possible had taken the Tweebs to J.P. Bearymore and left Kim to her own devices for the day.

Kim sighed. A free day like this would mean some quality Ron time usually, either cuddling or watching a movie, but she wasn't feeling up to it. A lot weighed on her mind, and she found herself grateful for the opportunity to think.

She had spent the morning working from the list that Ron and her had compiled, and whittled down the acceptance letters to just a handful, perhaps six or seven. Privately she knew that to even have more than four should be considered extremely rare, but Kim found herself dreading settling on a decision because all but two had a common theme: She wouldn't have any sort of meaningful access to her boyfriend.

Ron's earlier comment about their friendship lasting she didn't doubt. It wasn't that aspect of their relationship that worried her. Ron wasn't a terribly romantic man as it was, and a part of her feared (a touch irrationally) that she would be swept up by someone much better at romance then her best friend. When cuddling happened it was usually initiated by her, and Ron went along with it. And that was just it: He never seemed to show initiative in their relationship. It didn't help that people they ran into were constantly surprised they were still dating. The worst part of it being that anytime she ran over the dating debate in her head, a small voice in the back of her head would promptly respond, _"Would it really be so bad if we weren't?" _and she would just as promptly banish it away, vowing it would never return.

The only times, she mused, that she'd found him romantic or loving were times when he was risking his life for her. When she and Monique had been captured she'd found Ron's attempt to save them charming and adorable. What sort of relationship was that?

Kim mentally chided herself for straying from the problem before her. She needed to focus, but knew that at this moment she wouldn't get anywhere. Perhaps it'd be smart to sit down with her parents and talk over the idea, and soon. At some point the colleges and universities of the world would fill up, and then...she didn't know what she'd do, exactly.

For now though, she gathered the letters up and set them aside in a small, orderly stack. She was going to decompress, she decided. She'd hit the mall and shop. No Ron, no bad guys, no college worries. Just her. Her mood brightened a little at the prospect that she might see Monique in Club Banana. She threw on a coat and snagged her keys from the key hook next to the Garage door.

~888~

Shego grumbled. Traipsing around the mall like a high school teenager was not what she had in mind when she'd asked Drakken what their next move was. When he'd told her what he needed her to do, he'd been deadly serious. It had taken her a few moments to realize the blue maniac wasn't lying or trying to pull a fast one on her. His orders had specifically been:

"Go to the Middleton Mall, Shego. Buy-" he waggled a finger at her. "like any other person, a nice suit." She'd given him a double take. Her initial reaction had been, "Why?" and then, "Really, no stealing?" Drakken had been especially grim about the stealing bit. "We need to create an air of reform. We're good people who use our ill-gotten gains to legally by the things we need. So yes. Behave. Smile. Buy something professional. We'll need to look like honest business people."

So here she was. The Mall. Kim's domain, really. Shego was, truth be told a little lost, and genuinely wished to be anywhere else. It didn't help that she was here in her signature catsuit. People gave her a wide berth when they saw her coming. Wider, if she tried smiling at them. She'd burned or thrown out or given away all the clothes she'd bought while under the Attudinator's effects as Miss Go, too weirded out by the Twilight Zone-esc memories they were associated with to keep them. She regretted it now. She sighed, and consulted the stand-up map placed in the center of the wide hallway, studiously ignoring the looks she was getting from the other shoppers. She figured she'd try Club Banana first. If Shego was lucky Kim's friend Monique would be working and at least wouldn't run screaming if Shego approached calmly.

She found the Store's location on the map and after orienting herself to the lay out, strode away confidently, deciding to ignore the stares-letting her reputation cut her a path through the crowd.

Shego strode into Club Banana and seemed to relax a little in the semi-familiar confines of the shop. She headed for a section of easy-wear, sweats and hoodies, deciding on the spot that she'd dress comfortably in the lair for once.

What she didn't notice was Monique watching from the shoes section, jaw open and eyes wide with a mixture of fear and puzzlement, then gathering enough of her wits to slink into the back and call Wade. This was something Kim needed to hear.


End file.
